FINALLY, MY DESTINED TRUE MATE

ISABELLE AND ROBERT

ISABELLE.

It is on a Friday afternoon and I can't concentrate in class. The lecturer keeps on looking at my corner and every time he does that I pretend that I am paying attention, which is not the case. My mind is far away, miles away from here.

I am thinking about my pack, a place that fills me with both happy and sad memories. It's a place where I was born and brought up in a loving family, in a loving pack, until everything changed one Sunday afternoon.

My father was the Alpha, a very powerful leader who was loved by all. He was the ultimate leader of the pack and everyone loved him. I always remember how I earned favours as a child by just mentioning that I was the daughter of Alpha Ezekiel. Even today, I still believe I would get similar treatment if I would divulge the real details about my identity.

On that Sunday afternoon, he led the pack against a pack of marauding rogues led by a famous rogue known as Ivan the horrible and a fierce battle ensued. Our pack won the battle and managed to repulse the attack, but with very serious casualties. My father and brother sustained serious injuries. The pack's Luna, my mother Ellie tried unsuccessfully to heal them but her efforts were unsuccessful. They both died.

My mother was gifted with special powers. She could heal even the most advanced illnesses just by placing her hand on the patient. It is rumoured that she received the powers directly from the moon goddess herself. I witnessed firsthand as patients came to her for healing.

Alphas from other packs and their senior officials, our own pack members and even humans came to her for healing and she never disappointed. Whenever war broke out between packs she was always busy because they kept on bringing to her the injured and she never discriminated.

Therefore, that Sunday afternoon when my father and brother lay in the battlefield, bruised and in pain, pack members came running to get mum to go and heal them. It was too late. Their injuries had an aspect of sorcery and there was nothing she could do to heal them. It was later revealed that Ivan the horrible had used enchanted weapons against my father's army.

Back at our pack a succession battle started. With my father dead, mother and I were the natural successors, but senior pack members including the Beta, my uncle Richard, had other ideas. And mother knew it only too well.

Still stressed by her failure to heal her mate, she confided in me that she was ready to die.

“Isabelle, when I was sleeping last night I had a vision. They are preparing to kill us both. You need to escape. Do it this night. I have cleared your way, such that no one will harm you until you reach friendly territory. I have also communicated with the Luna of the Riverine pack. You will get accommodation there until you come of age." She told me one evening.

“But mother, I don't want to go away." I protested. “Furthermore, the things you say, I don't understand."

“Just go. Things will make sense after you have gone. Come here, there's something important that I must give you." She said. I went closer. The room was dark but I could see her clearly.

“Kneel down." She said and I complied without question. I felt her hands on my head and she pressed hard. I steeled myself but her force was still strong. Then everything started vibrating.

The whole house was spinning, the glass louvres rattled and utensils fell from their racks. She removed her hands from my head but I still felt some energy flowing inside my body and it was as if I was floating. My head was spinning and all I could see were circular rings rotating in my brain. In that state of a trance I remember feeling her hands touching mine, and she put on a ring on one of my fingers. I could see hazily as the ring emitted a greenish light, but then I was not sure if that is what I saw because I wasn't thinking straight. At that juncture, a light bulb above us went on, then glowed brightly, so bright that it was affecting my eyes, before blowing up in a bang and the room went back to darkness.

Then suddenly everything went back to normal. I thought I had just experienced an earthquake, but then I didn't know how to describe what I had just seen..

“Rise now my daughter. You have all my power. No one can touch you." She said in a weak voice as she sunk on her seat, like a defeated beast of prey..

“But mother, what powers are those? I know you can heal, what else can you do ?" I asked.

“You are now powerful just like I was. I have transferred all the powers of the ring to you. Now you can heal the sick, you can defend yourself from the attackers, you can help yourself and others to defeat enemies. The ring in your finger, never let it leave you because that's where all these powers are. When you encounter trouble, just rub it and you will gain immense energy, your weapons will be invincible. When you want to heal someone, simply rub on the ring and touch the patient with your hand. But I must caution you, never use the powers of this ring to attain evil or for selfish ends. Now you have to leave. As for me, I can't leave my mate. We are mates forever. I'll die here. You too will have a mate one day and you will understand that the bonds must be sustained even after one partner dies. In any case, now that my mate is dead I don't even have the energy or the purpose to live and if they kill me they'll be doing me a favor." She said, and I noticed that tears were rolling freely down my cheeks. I couldn't bring myself to leaving her at her state.

Mother and I looked at each other for moments, our eyes locked, more tears flowing from my eyes.

“Get up and leave Isabelle. I love you. I will always love you. Always remember that." She said, then got up slowly and wobbled into her bedroom, leaving me alone. I could tell she was crying too, overcome by grief, for losing her mate, and now her daughter. I heard her crashing into her bed.

I stayed there for about ten minutes wondering what to do next. The developments had taken place abruptly and I needed time to adjust. A few days earlier we were the best family I could ever ask for but now it was only my mum and I, two desolate ladies. With mum now acting out of her character and obviously not in control of herself I was basically on my own.

My thoughts were broken by a voice from within me, a whisper from my wolf Sheri, urging me to get out and leave. I tried to resist but the voice got strong, combined with an urge. She was now driving me. I walked out of the house without even packing some clothes. I didn't even say goodbye.

It was late, at around ten o'clock in the night. Security was heavy around the pack house but I managed to sneak away. I walked past the guards and none of them questioned me. Sheri was still talking to me and once I was gone a few meters away from the pack house she whispered to me to turn and look back.

When I looked, I saw several guards entering the pack house and something told me that they had gone to harm my mother. I decided to run back and help her but a force pulled me back, so strongly that I almost fell. Then Sheri's voice whispered to me to keep walking towards the main gate.

“Isabelle!" The lecturer says, pointing at me, waking me from my reverie. I quickly compose myself and look at him.

“For about thirty minutes you haven't been concentrating. Please try to focus at least for the few remaining minutes." He says and I nod in acknowledgement.

Immediately he turns away from me I return to my thoughts.

After walking away from our pack I ran throughout the night, arriving at the Riverine pack at dawn. Sheri's voice inside me kept on guiding me, ensuring that I arrived without much ado. I was warmly received by the Luna of the pack who ensured that I continued with my last year in school.

This school is nice and I like everything about it. I have also found love. His name is Robert the son to the Alpha of this pack.

Robert is always around me, talking to me and sometimes coming to my room which is just a few meters away from his own room. I only came to realize that he was interested in me when he had visited my room so many times. Though he wasn't my mate, I liked him so much. He is a strongly built man with pronounced features and an handsome face. His smile is something worth dying for.

One day he invited me out and we had all sorts of fun, watching movies, taking drinks together then dinner. When we came back home we kissed, and that took all the strength from my knees. That night I didn't sleep, thinking about it.

The following evening I didn't think twice when he suggested that we go out again for dinner. In my heart I knew that I had finally found love and when I put on my best dress he kept on complementing me on how beautiful I looked. I blushed several times before we got to the hotel.

After dinner he asked me to become his girlfriend and I was over the moon. I said yes and there was no better feeling than what I felt with my head on his chest as he patted on my hair. When we got back to the pack house we went straight to my room and started kissing passionately. I was ready for anything he wanted, and he was determined to get everything out of the situation. We romanced heavily, and I became so weak, with my body yearning for him. Just when he started unbuttoning my blouse someone coughed inside the room. In our haste we had forgotten to lock the door and his mother the Luna was standing there. She lectured us for hours on the chapter about mates. From that day we made an agreement that we weren't going to engage in intimacy until the day we got together. As a future Alpha he had to be strong and control his own body and it's desires. He had to be a role model to the young males.

“That marks the end of today's lesson. Any questions?" The lecturer asks, jolting me back to attention. He looks around but no one has a question.

“Since everyone is satisfied, let's meet on Monday." He says as he gathers his books and I realize that I just wasted a whole lesson thinking about my past.

I am walking home later in the evening all alone when Robert's car pulls over near me.

"Hey Belle. You should've waited for me. Please get in, I'll take you home." He says as he unlocks the passengers' door. Robert is the only person who calls me Belle. He reminds me of my brother who used to call me the same. I get into the car and he plants a peck on my cheek, then he drives away once I'm settled. I stare at the road ahead as the car speeds away.

“Hi Belle, there's something I would like to tell you." He says after driving in silence for some minutes.

“I am listening." I say, trying to hide my shock. I wonder what he wants. Maybe another date? I'd be looking forward to that.

His eyes still on the road, he says, “My father, the Alpha wants to see you tomorrow.

“What? Why? Have I done something wrong?" I ask him in shock. Instantly I wonder whether the Luna has told him what she saw us doing.

“Just get yourself there and find out." He says with a sly smile.